For NEET UG 2026, a candidate must complete 17 years of age on or before 31 December 2026. The official information bulletin gives the corresponding birth-date cutoff as 31 December 2009 and states that there is no upper age limit. The minimum-age cutoff is the same for the general and reserved categories shown in its table.
These are the rules printed for the 2026 examination. Students searching for a 2027 age limit should use the bulletin for that examination when it is available, rather than treating the 2026 birth-date cutoff as a permanent date.
| Age question | NEET UG 2026 bulletin |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 17 years by 31 December 2026 |
| Birth-date cutoff | Born on or before 31 December 2009 |
| Upper age limit | No upper age limit |
| Source location | Chapter 6, printed page 25 |
NEET minimum age: the year-end date matters
The official NEET UG 2026 bulletin measures the minimum age against the end of the examination year. It does not require every applicant to have already turned 17 on the day an application is submitted.
Consider two hypothetical candidates. Someone born on 31 December 2009 turns 17 on 31 December 2026 and meets this age condition. Someone born on 1 January 2010 turns 17 on 1 January 2027 and misses the 2026 cutoff. The dates differ by one day, but they fall on opposite sides of the published eligibility boundary.
A third candidate, born on 20 November 2009, reaches the required age before the year ends. The birthday falling late in the year does not itself disqualify that person on age grounds. These examples apply only the age test; they are not decisions on the candidates' complete eligibility.
NEET upper age limit for general and reserved categories
Chapter 6 explicitly says there is no upper age limit. Its minimum-age table includes General and General EWS candidates, as well as SC, ST, OBC NCL and disability categories. Applicants should therefore avoid borrowing a maximum-age rule from a different entrance test or a recruitment examination.
For example, a 30-year-old applicant cannot be ruled out solely by inventing a maximum age of 25 or 30. Equally, the absence of an upper-age cap does not establish that the applicant satisfies the academic and other admission conditions. Age is one question within the eligibility check, rather than a substitute for that check.
Where to check the official NEET eligibility wording
Open the NTA NEET website and use the Information menu's link titled Information Bulletin for NEET(UG)-2026. The admission bulletin page also provides that document link. In the PDF, go to Chapter 6, Eligibility and Qualifications for MBBS and BDS Course. Printed page 25 is PDF page 30 when the cover pages are counted.
Read the age clause alongside the qualifications section before making an application decision. Keep the examination year visible when checking a saved PDF: a search result, screenshot or forwarded table may refer to a different year. This guide does not announce a new registration window or a change to the published rules.
For other eligibility and document questions, read our guides to UPSC examination stages, CBSE marksheets on DigiLocker and NIOS On Demand examinations.
